Historical Background

History

In the Summer Quarter of 2007, Joy Harkins and Janis Eto had just returned from a Leadership Development Program in Higher Education (LDPHE) conference, held at Cal Poly Pomona Conference Center. LDPHE promotes Asian-Pacifics in higher education, providing a week-long professional development training session. Career Services through the Student Affairs Division had awarded scholarships to Joy and Janis to attend the conference. The following year Kathy registered as a faculty member.

Martin Shibata and Abe Lynn had attended the LDPHE conference in earlier years. In the Fall of 2007, we met to discuss establishing a Leadership Education for Asian-Pacifics (LEAP) group at Cal Poly. Martin Shibata was elected as Chairperson to lead this new emerging group. The founding members would assist with program development. Career Services would contribute funds to initiate this effort in support of diversity at Cal Poly.

APIFSA Development

On November 9, 2010, a request was sent to David Conn or the Inclusive Excellence Office to establish the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association (APIFSA) as a formal organization. Our request was forwarded to Dan Howard-Greene and the President’s Office. On December 17, 2010, President Glidden provided provisional approval for establishment of the APIFSA.

On November 23, 2010, a request for a New Campus Program was approved by the Student Affairs Division (Cornel Morton) and submitted to the Cal Poly Foundation Campus Programs. On December 21, 2010, Cal Poly Corporation approved opening a new account for APIFSA (organization key number: 80552). Initial source of funds were provided from Career Services ($5,000).

In the Fall Quarter of 2011, Sharon Anderson worked with Information Technology Services (ITS) to establish the APIFSA Website:

On November 21, 2011, a request was submitted to President Armstrong to formally recognize APIFSA as a university-affiliated group. Prerequisites have been completed relative to establishing a new account and website. By-laws have also been forwarded to the President’s Office and Contracts & Procurement.

On January 27, 2012, President Armstrong met with the APIFSA Planning Committee and core leadership to announce and formally recognize the Asian Pacific Islander Faculty & Staff Association as a university-affiliated group.

On March 6, 2012, APIFSA approved the by-laws by vote (26 – yes versus 0 – no). In addition, the following individuals were elected to office for academic year 2012-13:

Chair Joy Harkins, Student Life & Leadership

Vice-Chair Grace Yeh, Ethnic Studies

Secretary/Treasurer Martin Shibata, Career Services

PROGRAMMING – Academic Year 2007-08

Planning Committee

Martin Shibata, Career Services & Chair

Joy Harkins, Student Life & Leadership

Janis Eto, Housing

Kathy Chen, Materials Engineering Department

Abe Lynn, Architectural Engineering Department

LEAP Professional Development Luncheon

February 6, 2008, PAC Lobby

Keynote Speaker:

Audrey Yamagata-Noji

Vice President of Student Affairs at Mt San Antonio College.

Topic: She spoke on how our cultural heritage can be both a help and hindrance to our professional success.

Asian Pacific-Islander faculty and staff were invited to attend.

Attendance - 57

LEAP Social Event

May 10, 2008, Buddhist Church in SLO

Social Event: Asian Pacific potluck

Demonstrations: Thai Chi Center and Buddhist Taiko Drummers.

Faculty, staff and family members were invited to connect with Asian Pacific-Islanders at Cal Poly.

Attendance – 46

PROGRAMMING – Academic Year 2008-09

Planning Committee

Martin Shibata, Career Services & Chair

Joy Harkins, Student Life & Leadership

Janis Eto, Housing

Kathy Chen, Materials Engineering Department

Abe Lynn, Architectural Engineering Department

LEAP Professional Development Luncheon

February 11, 2009, PAC Lobby

Keynote Speaker:

Patrick Hayashi

Vice President for University of California Board of Regents (retired)

Topic: Dr. Hayashi spoke about his fight in the UC system and how admission criteria hinder the acceptance of Asian Pacific-Islanders and others into the UC system. He also touched on his experience being interned and personal growth and development.

APIFSA also solicited funds for the American Red Cross in response to the humanitarian needs from the Tsunami.

PROGRAMMING – Academic Year 2011-12

APIFSA PLANNING COMMITTEE

Joy Harkins, Student Life & Leadership & Chair

Martin Shibata, Career Services

Janis Eto, Housing

Kathy Chen, Material Engineering Department

Soukita Thipsouvanh, Career Services

Sharon Anderson, ITS

Lina Pranata, Counseling Services

Magarida Yin, Architecture Department

Grace Yeh, Ethnic Studies Department

APIFSA Educational Workshop

October 26, 2011, UU204

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Christina Firpo, History Department

“Child Care in Vietnam During the Great Depression: Colonial Benevolence or Exploitation”

Topic: Dr. Firpo shared her research work on mixed race orphans (some being taken from their Vietnamese mothers) during the French colonial period in Vietnam and how the imperial government used these children to further establish European power.

Attendance – 28

APIFSA Professional Development Luncheon

February 9. 2012, PAC Lobby

Keynote Speaker:

JD Hokoyama, former President of LEAP, Inc.

Topic: “Twenty First Century Leadership”

This session presented a new leadership framework and characteristics of an effective 21st

century leader in a diverse, multicultural society based on LEAP’s leadership philosophy that

encourages participants to retain their cultural identity while maximizing their effectiveness.

Additional focus was placed on broadening and deepening participant knowledge of the

impact of their Asian cultural values on their behavior and the perceptions that result from

Topic: Asian American and Pacific Islanders in Leadership - Pipeline or Pipedream?

Henry Gee is currently serving as Vice President for Student Affairs at Rio Hondo College. He is very active with the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). He also serves with the Leadership Education of Asian Pacifics (LEAP) and co-facilitates a leadership development program in higher education.

APIFSA Social Event
April 27, 2013
Buddhist Church of SLO (11:00am – 2:30pm)

Topic: Filipino Love Stories of San Luis Obispo and Northern Santa Barbara Counties, 1920-1979.
This is an ethnic studies memory project focused on under-documented communities of the Central Coast. This draws from interviews with and personal archives of the wives and children of these first migrants to the agricultural region of the Central Coast. These stories reveal the contrained circumstances that marked Filipino American lives as well as the intimate bonds - of marriage, family and community - forged under such circumstances.

APIFSA Fall Social
Thursday, November 14, 2013

An opportunity for API faculty, staff, and students to network. Information about the scholarship was given and 2013 scholarship recipients were honored.

APIFSA Professional Development Luncheon
February 6, 2014

Keynote Speaker: President Les Wong from San Franscisco State University